Second place Groupama are in slow speed pursuit of Leg 7 leaders Abu Dhabi as a high pressure ridge slows the fleet to a snails pace.

Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race looked set to come to a thrilling climax in the final 36 hours of the transatlantic passage to Lisbon as the fleet began to compress in a high pressure ridge off Portugal on Wednesday.

Excitement is reaching fever pitch in Lisbon ahead of Thursday’s arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet -- and dockside all is set for a grand 24-hour welcoming party.

Race fans were able to get even closer to the thrilling action of the Leg 7 finale with a series of live video calls taking place today.

Groupama sailing team have been in overdrive overnight draining one and a half tonnes of water after their aft ballast tank cracked and spilled its content in the inside of their boat.

With only 65 nautical miles separating first and last in the Leg 7 race to Lisbon, second place PUMA are asking should they play the offensive or defensive game as the pressure mounts over the remaining 500 nm to Lisbon.

Race fans will be able to watch the nail-biting climax to Leg 7 play out in real time with the race tracker going ‘live’, while Wednesday also brings a chance to tune into video calls with the fleet.

Groupama surged back into contention on Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Tuesday, joining a fast-moving pack of teams threatening to make it a tight finish for leaders Abu Dhabi.

The split-second reflexes of CAMPER helmsman Roberto 'Chuny' Bermúdez narrowly saved the team from a high-speed collision with a whale in the middle of the Atlantic on Tuesday.

Sanya skipper Mike Sanderson celebrated his 41st birthday on Tuesday with 10 crew mates and high hopes of getting back in contention for the team's first podium place.

The Volvo Ocean Race might be sailed in the fastest monohull boats in the world, but it’s the painstaking tactical decisions made under extreme pressure that ultimately win or lose legs.

Excitement levels are building on board PUMA as Ken Read’s team hold on to second place entering the final 1,000 nautical miles of Leg 7 from Miami to Lisbon.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing managed to stem the flow of miles lost to their rivals overnight as the fleet continues its headlong rush across the Atlantic towards Lisbon.

What's the latest in the Volvo Ocean Race? Find out right here.

At 1900 GMT, Ian Walker's Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing were still leading Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Miami in the United States to Lisbon in Portugal, but it is a nervous time for the Emirati team as the fleet dig into their margin, which grows smaller with every position report.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s Leg 7 lead was being steadily eroded on Monday, as the chasing pack lined up along an easterly moving cold front bringing strong winds.

Proving they’re a force to be reckoned with, Team Sanya and Abu Dhabi are shaking things up among the teams that are well ahead of them on the leaderboard in a way that threatens to leave the race for the Volvo Ocean Race Trophy wide open.

Abu Dhabi rocketed across the Atlantic overnight at speeds more than three knots quicker than their nearest rivals, notching up 338 nautical miles in 24 hours, while Team Sanya have shown a similar turn of pace and jumped to fourth.

Nerves of steel are a requirement for a Volvo Ocean Race sailor especially when crossing the Atlantic, CAMPER helmsman Rob Salthouse said as his team gained miles on Leg 7 leaders Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi were building a big lead on Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Sunday after beating the fleet to a low pressure system that packs the power to catapult them to within a couple of hundred miles of the finish.

Leg 7 leaders Abu Dhabi are looking forward to pulling further clear at the front after becoming the first team to find new breeze -- but skipper Ian Walker warned the leg is far from won and could be decided in the final few hundred miles.

Team Sanya made a break from the fleet overnight heading north towards the ice exclusion zone in search of wind as Abu Dhabi led going into the final 1,800 nautical miles of Leg 7.

What's the latest in the Volvo Ocean Race? Find out right here.

Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing clawed their way back into the Leg 7 lead on Saturday as the six-boat Volvo Ocean Race fleet fought to position themselves for what could be a leg deciding 24 hours, with light winds from a high pressure system slowing them down.

Abu Dhabi skipper Ian Walker said the Emirati team’s more than 20 nautical mile lead today was down to smart thinking by navigator Jules Salter who picked the perfect path through shifting breezes and swirling currents in the Atlantic.

Sleep deprivation is taking a toll on the battle weary sailors who have been kept from their bunks by a tacking frenzy in the bumpy, icy waters of the North Atlantic.

What's the latest in the Volvo Ocean Race? Find out right here.

Abu Dhabi have regained the lead as the fleet continue to search for a low that promises to help the “rich get richer”, while CAMPER have slipped to third after an eventful night that included catching one of the world’s oldest reptiles on their keel.

Skippers, sailors and MCMs have been giving us live updates on this fascinating leg from on board the boats. Read on for a selection of quotes from our interviews.

CAMPER pulled off an incredible mid-leg comeback on Friday shooting from last place into the lead in less than 48 hours, while overall race leaders Telefónica slipped down the rankings after being snared in light winds.